One of the biggest criticisms of the third season of The Crown is simply that there wasn’t enough Princess Anne. Writer and showrunner Peter Morgan notably skipped over a few Anne-focused moments in history, which range from her wedding to the time she was almost kidnapped at gunpoint and fended off the assailant, in favor of episodes that centered the emotions of the men in the royal family.
Add in Erin Doherty’s sparkling performance as the Queen’s quick-witted daughter, and it’s not hard to understand why people were frustrated by her lack of screen time.
That criticism has reached Morgan’s ears. During a virtual roundtable with Deadline ahead of Emmy nomination voting, Morgan shared that “So many people came afterwards and said ‘You will be putting more Erin in season 4 won’t you?'”
“It was because I think because Anne is [an] often overlooked member of the family and a neglected, an unknown member of the family, and the minute Erin’s interpretation of her—which goes far beyond what was written down in terms of what she brings to it—everybody has fallen in love with her,” he explained, noting that the show has also boosted the popularity of the real life Princess Anne.
“I read somewhere that Princess Anne’s personal popularity, the searches for her on Wikipedia, has sort of gone through the roof. She’s now by some margin the most popular royal, and I would say that something about Erin’s extraordinary talent has a lot to do with that.”
Morgan certainly praised Doherty’s performance, calling it a “standout piece of acting,” but he stopped short of confirming that fans would see more of her in season four. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Filming on The Crown‘s next chapter wrapped right as the COVID-19 outbreak hit Europe. New episodes are expected to premiere later this year.
My wife just discovered The Crown on Netflix© and is binging on season one. I wonder if any of you are Crown watchers and are disappointed with Princess Anne’s snub?
Story by Caroline Hallemann for Town&Country©
